Food trucks: I was surprised at so many overall great reviews of the food these trucks put out. I guess we have all seen the food shows featuring these trucks, all over the nation.
I wonder what came first, the ice cream trucks or the hot dog wagons? Something else? The “Chipper Vans” of England? (potatoes fried in oil and served in a large cone shaped newspaper wrap).

One thing I know from years of blogging, people have their favorite celebrities. I have read posts from women describing in great detail what they would do to Brad Pitt or Ewan MacGregor.
A couple years ago I posted here how nice it was to see Ashley Judd running in the rain towards the winner’s circle after her husband Dario won the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
She is “it” for me.
Today as most Saturdays I was listening to Car Talk on public radio. At 10:33 Ashley Judd called in.
She wanted hints on how to let her husband let her drive once in a while. It was a fun segment, and then she asked for a recommendation for a truck to buy for the farm. Click and Clack (aka Tom and Ray ) told her to buy a Toyota Tundra. Wassamatta wit’ a big ass Ford, boys?

As a Collins, I come resolutely down on both sides of the struggle. However, it struck me while reading accounts of the death of my family saint (Michael) that he’d stopped for a pint or two before the deadly ambush, that it would place my genes firmly within the Catholic camp.
It doesn’t.
But you go, Ireland. Love ya.

JWfromNJ said on March 17, 2012 at 10:44 pm

Had lunch today from a burrito truck that always draws a crowd. $5.15 for a huge pork burrito, roasted chiles, and a glass bottle of Mexican coke.

DellaDash said on March 18, 2012 at 1:37 am

Since it is March Madness, think I’ll bounce a ‘bigup’ to a fallen ordinary hero here…

…just finished talking to my brother, who was full of apologies for being late with a birthday call, because he’d been to South Carolina for the funeral of Dick Harter.

Coach Harter had run my brother’s ass ragged back in the early 70’s when my brother had played for the Oregon Ducks on a full scholarship as one of Harter’s ‘Kamakazi Kids’ (along with Ron Lee and Greg Ballard – the two on the team who went pro). I’d periodically hitchhike on up from SoCal to Eugene…to take in the scene…watch the team practice…join them at training table (the only time in my adult life when I was able to luxuriate in the illusion of being a petite 6’2″).

It was more exciting when the team came down to play games in Los Angeles. That was the era of the Wooden/Walton UCLA dynasty (Lew Alcindor had Kareemed out by then). Bill Walton and (predominantly white) company appeared almost supernatural when seen up close and courtside…invincible…inexorable…an avalanch of abominable snowmen making my 6’7″ brother and his posse look like…well…a gaggle of ducklings. Then they’d take their thoroughly whupped behinds a little further south to USC where the b-ball turned street, the teams were more evenly matched, and a lot of highly entertaining hotdoggin went down.

My brother had to sit out 2 seasons because of knee surgery…kind of ok for him as his academic career was his number one priority. Even so, he had a lot of issues about Coach Harter…resented his strategies…thought he was playing brown-nosers and benching better men…like that…

Here’s the thing…some years later, after my brother got his degree and had become CFO for a company owned by one of the wealthy team sponsors, he slammed up against some forces beyond his control…and there was Coach Harter…calling out of the blue…offering to pull strings or whatever he could do to help out. By that time, Dick Harter was on his way to earning a reputation as one of the great defensive coaches of the NBA. (He’s assisted in Detroit, Indiana, with the New York Knicks…worked with Larry Bird.) He was the last person my brother expected to hear from…he hadn’t been one of Harter’s stars…time had passed. And Coach didn’t let it drop…he kept in touch.

In spite of the complaints, my brother says that playing for Coach Harter was like going through trial by fire. I can tell my never-let-em-see-you-cry, alpha-male sibling is pretty torn up about his passing. Now that I’ve learned more about his loyalty and personal generosity, I’d like to pay my own repects to Coach Dick Harter…shine a little light on his memory.

DellaDash, I always perk up when I read something here I know a little bit about, and I remember Dick Harter, Ron Lee, and Greg Ballard well, mostly from printed stories as college games weren’t covered on live TV so much.
From that era I mostly remember Bill Walton and his teammates and of course the game in South Bend in 1974 when Dwight Clay made a corner shot and ended the Bruins’ long winning streak…Walton revealed in an interview last year that he had actually broken his back in three places in a game a couple weeks before that day, and he couldn’t do too much.

It’s great your brother got to play for a big-time program like the Ducks. I saw a game in that league one time. It’s been so long I can’t remember now if it was Washington or who the hell we saw play.
A friend of mine from my army days in Monterey had a cousin attending undergraduate school at UC Berkeley. Four of us went with him to hang out on that campus for a few days. Somebody knew someone who had a key to the facility where the Cal Bears played, and we took to the floor for one hour, one time, playing a pickup game…it was a lot of fun…I recall that old floor had lines running everywhere, dividing the courts when the side baskets were down for workouts.

Back in the 1970’s and 80s there was a major league baseball player named Walter “No-Neck” Williams. I spoke to him once during a lull at White Sox Spring Training in 1988, in Sarasota, Florida, when he was a Sox coach. Oddly, many years later his cousin was transfered to our plant . So there we were, two factory workers , working side by side, both who have had major league players for cousins. Well, I thought it was odd, anyway.

Also, I lived just 74 miles from South Bend in 1974 and of course there was large contingent of Notre Dame fans around me.
That game was on national network TV, and no other games were on…not like today when the sports channels kill ya with so many games it is impossible to choose, and channel flipping four games at a time can drive a guy nuts. When Clay hit that shot, my entire townhouse row exploded…screaming, people running out in the parking lot , beers in hand…it was truly awesome.

DellaDash said on March 18, 2012 at 1:47 pm

Yeah, Dex, who’s your cuz?

Those are some good stories to add to the lore.

Another one of the ‘Kamakazies’ was Doug ‘Cowboy’ Little…Las Vegas born and bred. Whew, dawg! He was a bundle of trouble!

BTW, I’m really liking ‘Awake’. Missed the pilot. Could you summarize the set up?

I always thought No-neck Williams would be a good manager if he got the chance. Ernie Banks attitude, Let’s play two. That WW interview made my day, Dexter. Another player of the sort was Don Buford, with what looked like an 18 in. long outfielder’s glove. Just a joy to watch.

Della, the first three episodes of Awake are all on Hulu for free now:

I like Awake, too. Been a long time fan of BD Wong, for one thing, but I also think the premise is fascinating. And anything that screws with linear temporality , I enjoy it. I like how clues apre having relevance in both realities. Sadly, I think this show requires too much undeficited attention and thought to last long.

Anybody have any ideas for coming zombification on Walking Dead season finale. After their sorry ass performances last Sunday, I’m alright with Rick’s whole family biting the dust.

I loved Ron Lee’s fearless style of hoops. That’s the way Rajon Rondo plays these days, and he is a sliver of Ron Lee physically. Guy always looked like a free safety or a RB to me. And, one of the great Afros, all-time.

Deborah said on March 18, 2012 at 9:11 pm

I’m writing this from Pasedena, CA. Unfortunately there is more to the sick cat situation and LittleBird is taking her to an emergency vet place tonight. She’s not eating or taking fluids unless LB uses a syringe and forces fluids into her mouth. I wish this wasn’t happening while I’m so far away. And I wish I could say I’m enjoying my respite in Southern California but I am definitely not.

Our first mortgage was 12 3/4%, March, 1980. Yes, and we had to put 30% down. It’s amazing when you read about Santorum and all the things he has to back away from, he was shown on one of the news programs this morning on stage with Arlen Specter in 1996, announcing his run for president. He now says it was a mistake to support him. His “mistake list” (in his mind) must be a long one.

Connie said on March 18, 2012 at 10:11 pm

Our first was an 11 per cent land contract when standard mortgages were 13 . Sept 79. If there is a per cent symbol on my ipad keyboard I’m not finding it.

Minnie said on March 18, 2012 at 11:26 pm

Deborah, so sorry your cat is still ailing. Hope the vet LittleBird takes him to can help. Hard to be away when a member of the family is sick.

Deborah said on March 19, 2012 at 12:37 am

Connie, there is a % key on the iPad. Press the key that has .?123 (lower left elongated horizontal key) then press the key that has #+= (in the shift key position). The % key is in the middle of the top row.

Little Bird took the cat to the emergency place and it doesn’t seem good. They gave her some sub dermal fluids and tomorrow morning Little Bird takes her back to the regular vet. I’m pretty sure this is the end.

Connie said on March 19, 2012 at 7:03 am

Wow, deborah, you’ve introduced me to an entire new keyboard. I should read the manual again.

Minnie said on March 19, 2012 at 10:05 am

Deborah, don’t give up on your cat yet. We have had at least two cats who fared well for more than a year on subcutaneous fluids. A year is a long extension of a cat’s life. I understand that you don’t want to extend the cat’s time on this earth at the expense of quality of life, but injecting the fluids became an unobjectionable part of the routine. Good luck.